Storied Hopi High is back
Running is a sacred aspect of culture for many reservation schools in Arizona.
So, it was extremely difficult for many runners, coaches, and fans when it was announced that many of their fall high school cross-country seasons were cancelled in 2020 due to the global pandemic.
However, now that the cases of COVID-19 have lowered within those communities, and vaccinations are making
a difference in many areas, cross country is back, with students are able to run once again.
The first meet back for many of these reservation schools is the Hopi Cross Country Invite scheduled for Tuesday at Keams Canyon, Arizona, hosted by the storied Hopi High School cross-country tream, one of the nation’s most dominant high school running programs over the past several decades.
About a dozen other high school running programs from the Navajo and Hopi nations, where running programs are strong and the sport has significant cultural roots, are expected to compete.
Led by recently National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame inductee Rick Baker, the Hopi boy’s team is looking to reclaim a state championship, last won in 2016 after 27 straight boys state titles. The school’s girls program has won 22 since 1985.
“It’s really good to be back,” said Baker. “It’s really great for our program here at Hopi High School to get our runners back, so we’re all excited.”
The Kearn’s Canyon Hopi High boys program was named the No. 1 all-time high school cross-country dynasty in Arizona by The Arizona Republic in 2020, though in recent years it has been rivaled by several other top programs. It also was ranked the No. 4 top Arizona high school sports dynasty in any sport by The Republic.
The most recent shot at an Arizona state title for the Hopi boy’s team came in 2019, where they finished as runnerups, just behind North Phoenix Prep.
Four runners from the 2019 boy’s team are competing for Hopi this year, but having to go through a pandemic and not having an outlet like running was physically and mentally taxing for many of them.
“It put a damper on our kids in our program. I tried to keep them upbeat, and keep telling them to train, but I think after a while everybody just kind of shut it down when we knew that we weren’t going to be competing,” said Baker.
“It’s really hard to get them motivated. I tried to get them back up during the winter, and into spring... but when practice started three weeks ago, you could tell there was no training.”
Even though his runners came into the season out of shape, Baker thinks that his team can still contend for a state championship this year.
“It’s going to take us a couple of more weeks of good, solid training to get them up to where I think they should be racing,” said Baker, during an inerview last week. “We’re going to just take it one race at a time and make adjustments from there. So, I think by the time November comes around we’re going to be ready.”
The Hopi Cross Country Invite is going to be team’s first major test in order to measure where the program stands and what they will need to contend for the state championship.Tuesday’s meet will feature boys and girls cross country teams from Window Rock, Pinon, Monument Valley, Tuba City, Chinle, Red Mesa, Alchesay, Page, Ganado, Many Farms, Joseph City, and Hopi.